Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.

Friday, May 29, 2009

State of the ArtDon’t Quit That Kindle Just Yet

Illustration byStuart Goldenberg

One step beyond the Kindle, the new, smaller Cool-er book reader has a removable battery, and one charge is good for 8,000 page turns. What could be wrong?'

So often in life, reality doesn’t live up to the marketing; the fine print gets you every time. Vacation resort brochures always show the beaches and pools gleaming, well-lighted and completely empty. Movie trailers harvest 45 seconds of hilarity from even the biggest duds. And as for online dating profiles — well, you know.

Likewise, when you hear the description for the new Cool-er e-book reader ($250), from a British company called Interead, you have to sit up and take notice. It’s supposed to be just like the AmazonKindle, but smaller, lighter, thinner and $110 less expensive. (The name Cool-er comes from “Cool E-book Reader.”)

The Cool-er has enough memory to hold 700 books, but its memory-card slot can accommodate 2,800 more books, which should just about cover your next flight.Unlike the current Kindle, the Cool-er has a removable battery. The company says that it will offer additional batteries for $5. And one charge is good for 8,000 page turns, which is more than the Kindle or the Sony Reader.

1 comment:

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